I would like to thank TheVictoryAngelofStrife for favorite and alerting this story first and to whomever Maddy is thanks for reviewing it too. Believe it or not I was sort of worried that no one was interested in this story since the topic Dark Parables isn't as popular as I thought on this site. Yeah I know that's it's technically new and all but with all the fans on facebook, twitter, and bigfish I thought otherwise. Can't jump into conclusion huh? Well sorry for the wait. I was working on other stories that on either in process of making or chapters for my current ones.
Curse of the Nightingale
Prologue
Charlotte got into her car, which is a shocker since she can drive at 15, with the package inside next to her and drove to her destination. As she drives her car over the bridge she thought back of what the letter had said. 'Dear Grandchild, I would like to share with you my greatest accomplishment. Meet me at the majestic Nightingale Theater at 8 o' clock sharp tonight. Inside the box, you will find a golden ticket to the grand opening of my show. Join me in this fine performance. Love, Grandpa Wilson.' Then Charlotte thought back of the documentary about the old theater and what has happened to it. The Nightingale Theater was once the premier attraction for performers the world over! However, 40 years ago, March 15th 1960 to be precise, a devastating fire destroyed part of the theater, and it has been abandon since. The cause of the fire is unknown; however, the missing director at the time, Mr. Wilson, is still a suspect in this ongoing case. Charlotte sparked her car and looked at the chained gate. Then as she got out, she saw the sign that said 'Stay Away' starting to move back and forth. That's when a ghost appeared, a ballerina ghost.
Chapter 1
As Charlotte got out of the car, she looked at the building and saw it didn't age well at all. There was some damage from the fire but it looks like someone tried to rebuild it and they just gave up and left it as it is. She found a hammer near by and walked to the gate. As she walked the ghost turned her head and made a scary face that scared the living daylights out of her and flew to Charlotte and went right through her. Charlotte covered her face and went to her knees. When she felt that the chill was gone, she moved her hands away from her face and looked around. The ghost was gone. She got up and inspects the sign and the lock. Apparently the sign wasn't there before. It was in red paint but the design of it looked like it was made in blood. She went back to the car and got the gold ticket. She took it and went to the ticket booth. She saw a newspaper clipping on the wall and took it and read it. It was from the mayor announcing the end of the theater. Like before, she does have a journal but this time, she has pages to keep notes on certain people. The Mayor is now one of them. "I heard about this person. She appeared right after the fire. Never liked that peacock feather she has." She said. She picked up another newspaper the headlines said, "Nightingale Shuts Down: Local Residents Fear The Curse." Charlotte said, "There is such thing as curses but I don't think one caused this one."
She looked into the booth and saw bolt cutters inside. She picked up a rock and smashed it opened. That's when a ghost appeared. "How can I help you?" Then it went away.
"A vision or a ghost?" She questioned. She found a noticed in her grandfather's name and made another page for notes about her grandfather. She got the cutters and just before she used the hammer and cutters and saw a light from one of the windows. She looked at the window and saw something holding a light and then it went away, but not after seeing angry red eyes. "I'm no way NEAR Mothman or Owlman so what the heck was that?" She used the hammer and the bolt cutters and when the gate opened, Charlotte saw a ghost-like figure of her grandfather. He was walking, and then he turned to her and motioned her to come inside. "Grandpa?" She walked inside and saw a broken fountain, a dirt mount with a knife sticking out, and a busted electric box. She saw sparkles at the fountain and went to it. There were pieces of an identification card. "Well at least I can get inside." She walked forward and saw the entrance of the theater, but it was locked. "Damn." She walked to the right where the posters were, or used to be, and saw a man looking at her. As soon as Charlotte looked at him, he ran off. "Who was that?" She looked down and saw something glowing. There on the ground was her grandfather's pocket watch.
She touched it and then a vision or a ghost of her grandfather appeared as well as shadowy figures of other people. "My beloved grandchild, if you can see me, then you possess a powerful and rare gift. Like me, you can look into the past with a unique vision technique. You are now seeing a vision set on March 15, 1960. Visions serve a purpose. Focus hard enough, and you can find what you're looking for." Then he made an eye appear when he held out his hand to the side. "Come look at my announcement board!" Then he went away.
Charlotte went to the eye and when she touched it, there was a bright light and then she was transported back to the date her grandfather was talking about or at least close to that time. There was her grandfather young, and 4 people. Two were looking at the posters and an elderly couple sitting on the bench. Mr. Wilson said, "Patrons, welcome to my new show, featuring the graceful and talented Rose Tyler!"
One of the men said, "My, the starlet is such a beauty!"
Another looking at the poster was more acting like a critic. "I hope this show is better then the 'Ballet Swan Sisters'."
Then Charlotte turned her attention to the couple sitting on the bench. The husband asked, "Isn't it such a wonderful day darling?"
She replied, "Why, it couldn't have been lovelier!"
Charlotte waved her hand in front of their faces but they didn't even noticed or see her. "I must be in my own visions." she said. She looked around and saw some things were out of place, like finding off object is a Highlights magazine for kids. But there was only object that glowed. It was a shovel. When she picked it up, the vision was gone and she was back where she was before. "Trippy." Then she remembered the dirt mount and went to it after she picked up some electrical tape from the entrance. She started to dig and there was a body. A young man and he was holding the knife in his hand and a ballerina slipper in the other. Charlotte gasped and took a few steps back. She inspects the man and it was like he was frozen stiff with fear. "Petrified to death—this boy must've seen something terrible! I need to leave and get help." She took the knife from its hand.
As she turned away, she heard footsteps near the gate and when she turned around, it was the same figure from the window and the broken wall. He closed the gate with his hands and made it seal shut with his strength. Then he ran off. Charlotte said, "My goodness." She went to the gate and it was shut tight. "How is he that strong?" A part of the gate fell off and she took it. Then she looked at the pamphlets stand and felt her 'tracker' taking her there. She did and she put the pieces of a Peking Opera Scholar Hat together. "I remember grandpa did a Chinese section here." She put it in her bag, the same one she brought during her cases and went to the fuse box. She used the pipe to open it and used the tape to fix the wiring. Once that was done, the lights in the area were on. She walked forward and the ghost appeared again. This time, it was mouthing something but she didn't catch it. Then it went away. She used the knife on the rope that was covering the access box. Once she put the card in, the lights inside went on. In the windows, Charlotte heard a woman laughing and a shadow of a ballerina dancing. "She's waiting for me."
She walked up to the door, put the proper bird picture in place and got a puzzle. 4 locks 4 buttons that light up different locks. She solved it using just 2 and saw she needed door handles. Her tracker took her back to the message board and saw pieces of the door handles on the bench. "Either she or grandpa spread this around like Rose and Ivy did." She put them together and put them on the door. Once inside, she saw the ghost again but this time, she went to a statue near by and when she got inside it, the head was knocked off. "She's hates her occupation?" Charlotte asked herself.
She looked around the room and saw that there were 4 states of ballerinas, 3 doorways, though one with an eye on top was sealed off, a glass box near one of the 2 stairs, and a curtain covering something. "It's a beautiful place. the phantom ballerina, she was here! Why does she haunt this place…and me?" She walked down the staircase in the middle and saw the entrance for the show. It had the ticket place for her, but the battery is missing. "Is she waiting for me behind those doors?" She saw a bird emblem half on the ground and took it. She looked to her right and saw a small display booth. There were 4 small alters for 4 ballerina figures. "Guess these will be in my finding collection section." She walked back to the lobby and saw a crank handle on the floor. She picked it up and took the stairs on the right.
Once up there, she saw a long hallway, with multiple pictures and 2 doors. The pictures were the ghost ballerina, when she was alive, a magician, and half broken picture. She went to the opened door on the left and saw a dining table all messed up. She found a sledgehammer and took it. "Might as well." Then she saw pieces of a name plaque and put it together. she couldn't make it out of what it says. As she went pass the hallway, she saw a Chinese mask. It matched the hat a bit. So she took it and found rust remover too. "If I don't need them, I'll put them back." Once in the lobby, she saw a small crack on the wall under one of the statues. Not the same one, the one across from it. She smashed it opened with the hammer and it was a severed portrait piece.
Charlotte quickly ran back to the hallway and put the 2 pieces in place. the portrait blinked and a compartment opened. "That was weird." In the compartment she found a perfume bottle. She took a whiff at it and moved her head away. "Jeeze, that's strong stuff." Then she felt a vibration near by and ran out of the hallway. When she entered the lobby, she saw the last door that was sealed opened and she walked up to it. When she made it up there, the brute was waiting for her. He was wearing a circus outfit, a mask, and had fiery red hair and he was REALLY mad. And just before Charlotte ran off, he ran at her. But just before he could touch her, he covered his face and backed away. She looked down and it was the perfume bottle. That's when the brute started to trash the place like an ape to block off the hallway in that room. Once he left, she noticed a bottle of pills on the floor. She picked it up and read the label. "Animal medication! Taken by a human, its side affects are mental impairments." She took her book out and made notes of not only the brute but also the picture, which Charlotte finally figure out the name: Abigail and the name of the ghost ballerina: Rose Tyler. Well steroids are off the list for this explanation. So he's not a phantom as rumors says." Once she finished the notes, she saw something in a flowerpot near by. It was the key for the crystal box.
Chapter 2
Once back in the lobby, she opened the box, and a red demon eye appeared. "From grandpa or the ballerina?" She touched the eye and got a dark vision.
It showed Rose, in her pink dress, and Mr. Wilson, in his green tux, talking and a poster was revealed to her as a surprise. "Rose, you are the most talented ballerina to have ever graced the Nightingale. As director of this theater, I have created a new show, where you will be the star!"
Rose was happy. "Mr. Wilson, this is beautiful!"
But not everyone was happy. Someone overheard them and was angry. It was Abigail in her purple, her signature color, dress holding a pipe and when she heard the news, she got so angry, she broke her pipe in 2 using only one hand. This was the start of the end.
When the vision was over, she felt something in her hand. Charlotte looked down and it was a green ticket for the Chinese Opera section. "These visions had to be coming from any of the 3." She got her book and took note of what she just say. "Though I doubt the police here will understand of my findings. If only I was smart enough to ask someone for help at Dark Parables before I left. This would be perfect for Past if Scrooge let her come with me."
Her tracker took her to the broken statue and for good measure too. There were pieces for a gramophone speaker. "There's a gramophone in the dining hall. Need to go there." When she arrived she saw pieces of another Chinese opera hat. This time it was for a warrior. Once she put the speaker and handle in place, it started to play music and a compartment opened and inside was a jewel eye. "I remember a door that had a lion head on it. I think it's missing an eye." She made it back to the portrait hallway and there was a door with a missing jewel eye. Once in place, and unlocked it using its puzzle, the room suddenly got door. The hallway began to stretch, then she saw footprints on the floor like someone was dancing. Then it would flash every now and then the ballerina phantom and when close enough it zoomed at her again. Only this time, Charlotte was prepared for the impact. When the lights turned on, it was over. "There's something behind that door she warning me about." She walked through the door.
Once down the steps, she saw a winery, a fish tanks and 2 doorframes going opposite directions. "I forgot this place was a giant maze at the time." She saw sparkles at the shelves where the mask, and the wine was and saw pieces for a phoenix plate. "Must be for the opera stage." She walked down the hallway on the right and saw the entrance for the Chinese Opera theater. "Where' the ticket stand?" She found a pickaxe near by and left. But before she went to the hallway on the left, she noticed loose times on the floor. She used the pickaxe and got a black-tinted key out of it. Then she noticed another performance mask and a lighter on the table. "These could be in handy."
She walked forward to the 'Destruction Acrobatics entrance and saw a woman on the floor. She was no older then a collage student. "I can't move! Someone shoved me towards the statue, breaking a chunk of it onto my legs. Please help me!"
But just before she could, she saw a blue vision eye like before. She looked at it and got another vision. This time, it was a muscle man giving out autographs to 2 girls and 2 other people were looking at them. One man said, "I heard the show always sells out every weekend."
Then a middle-age woman said, "Oh my, what a gorgeous fellow."
"Here you go, ma'am." said the muscle man.
"Thank you Andreas. You're performance was wonderful!" said a fan.
Charlotte looked and around until she found the powder room key. Once she got it, she was back in the present and Charlotte was holding her head. The girl asked, "Are you alright? You zoned out for a few minutes."
Charlotte said, "I'm fine. It happens from time to time. I'll be right back. I'll look for something that can free your foot." She made it back to the Chinese opera entrance and found a door to the dressing room. She used the key and inside were a small row of mirrors with 2 boxes on them, a dummy in a dress, and a mirror at the end. As she entered, she saw the phantom ballerina on the mirror again mouthing something. "Does she have any connection to Snow White?" Charlotte didn't know what to think about that. "I don't think Rose would be alive around that time." She found a glow-stick on the couch, and went to the 2 boxes on the small desk. She used the black key she found and opened the box. inside there was a powder-stick and a photo of Abigail and Andreas. "So they're a couple." Charlotte quickly took note. She went to the small desk in front of the mirror and made not of Rose being a ballerina and dusted the brush for good measure in the future. Also she was lucky enough to find a crowbar as well.
She made it back to where the girl was and got the statue head off of her foot and helped her up. She fixed her glasses and said, "Thank you so much! My name is Rebecca, I'm a student journalist at the local university. I have been researching this historical theater for my report. My friend told me the theater was lit up so I decided to investigate further. As I was examining this statue, a large figure knocked me over. After I woke u, I found myself trapped under the debris. I will go out and call for help. By the way, I found this peculiar item, you probably need this more then I do." She handed Charlotte a disk with the sun on it and left.
Charlotte put the disk in her bag and found a pocketknife on the ground. She picked it and went back to the dressing room, but not before the top of the Chinese entrance display stopped her. There were pieces of a white key that matches the box in the same room. Once put together, she went inside and saw that the dummy was asking for her attention. That's when she found pieces for a puppet's right arm. "This must be for the small ticket booth." Then she went to the white box and once opened, she got the left arm of the same puppet. Then she used the pocketknife on the rope that was holding the curtains together and looked down. On the ground was the brute man from before glaring at her. He growled and ran away. "The faster I get out of this theater, the better!"
Once she left the room, she saw Rebecca trying to pick a lock. Charlotte made a note page about her, just incase. "Don't worry, I've informed my professor. He called someone from the city council for help."
Charlotte said, "Then my team won't be here to help then."
Rebecca asked, "Who?"
Charlotte asked, "Have you ever heard of Dark Parables before?"
She replied, "I have but I didn't think much of it since the city council isn't at good ties with them."
Charlotte said, "Then that's why they won't be here. I know them since the head honcho is my uncle, Mr. Boddy."
That's when Rebecca said, "That's right. The mayor doesn't like him since he took down the main 6 a couple of years ago when he faked his death." Then she looked at her. "That means you're Mr. Wilson granddaughter right?"
Charlotte nodded. "One of 2 actually. He contacted me a couple of days ago and now I'm wondering why he sent me here. Haven't seen him in years since he disappeared when me and sissy were small."
Rebecca said, "That is odd." Then she opened the safe. "I've unlocked this safe, thanks to learning lockpicking years ago. I can spot something inside, but it's too dark to see anything in it."
Charlotte said, "Got something for that." She put the glow stick in it and found another disk. This time it had a moon on it. She put them in their proper place and then the small ticket booth appeared.
Rebecca asked, "Have you've been here before?" Charlotte shook her head. She put the arms in place and put the ticket inside. That's when the gates opened. Rebecca was excited. "I've been waiting for this moment for years!" Then she ran inside.
As Charlotte was about to walk inside, the ghost ballerina appeared. "Stay away!" Then she went away.
Charlotte made notes and then walked inside. Rebecca was taking photos of the stage until the brute man appeared and took Rebecca under his arm. "Oh no! Help! Help!"
He looked at her then everyone heard a voice from near by. "Andreas!" Charlotte looked up and on one of the balconies was a shadowy figure of a woman. "Take care of our unwelcome guest." The man, now known as Andreas, looked at Charlotte and ran to her. Luckily She still had the perfume bottle in hand. She opened it and threw the liquid at him. It was all over him now. She screamed in pain…somehow and ran off with Rebecca with him.
Charlotte said, "The smell is one thing, but I saw burn marks all over him. It must have stung him through the mask." She looked at the seat and found a clown doll. "Thank go they're not scary." Then she saw sparkles on the stage and she went up. That's where she found and put together an elegant Chinese fan. A perfect fit for one of the closets in the dressing room.
Chapter 3
Charlotte made it to the dressing room and unlocked the closet Inside was a fishing rod. Then she went to the winery and used it on the fish tank and took out the second Chinese disk. This time it had a dragon on it. She made it back to the stage and put them on a small slot on the stage ground. When it opened, she found a chisel, a mask and a note. The note say, 'Grandpa's evaluation reads: Andreas has a kind nature but a short temper. Do not cross him!' "Yeah too late for that grandpa." Then she saw a small booth like the ballerinas only this time it was heads where the hats and the mask were supposed to be. She put them in their proper place: scholar, princess, and worrier, and popped out a pink ballerina figure.
Then she walked out but didn't leave yet since the entrance display was calling for her. She found and put together the gate switch then went to the winery and found the medicine cabinet key. She used it on the cabinet near by. When it was opened, a red eye appeared. "Here goes nothing."
She touched the red eye and a vision appeared. It showed Rose on the ground panting and a wine glass on a table. Abigail was there and she was holding a vial; a vial full of poison. "The more you move the faster the poison spread throughout your body."
Then Mr. Wilson came in. "Abigail! What have you done to her?!" He brought her to his arms. "Rose my dear, stay with me!" Abigail left with a smirk of content and evil on her face. Phase one was complete.
When the vision was over, Charlotte made note of what has happened and got a red ticket out of it. So Abigail killed her. But that doesn't explain the fire and why Mr. Wilson left. She made it back to the closed off area where Andreas stage is and out the door switch in place. She walked in and saw another hallway, but this time there was a well, some birdcages, a door to another, room and an entrance to the music room. One of the posters there was of Darcy, the theater's singer. "I read about her. Some say she was a siren mixed with a mermaid." She noticed something on the floor. It was bug-spray. Then she found another clown and used the rope on the well and found 2 owl eyes on the bucket. There was also a note that ways, 'I can't leave. This is all MY fault.' The note puzzled Charlotte. "No way this is from Abigail. Maybe Andreas or Grandpa?"
She walked down another hallway and there were 2 doors. One for Darcy's singing room, the other is a mystery. She saw a stack of guitars near some tables, and saw pieces of shears. She went back to the other one, and found a bush that had owl wings tangled in it. She cut it free and made it back. That's when she noticed wax all over a lantern and when she lit it up, it melted away revealing a handle and another clown. Then she noticed a statue angel holding a musical instrument disk. Charlotte made her way back to the Andrea's theater entrance and put the eyes and the wings on it and then put in the ticket.
Inside was a stage, a small booth again, and a chest. "Guess he would just break things in here. The stage is small." she said. She looked back stage and saw pieces for the other half the emblem she found. After she put together, she looked at the chest and saw it does need handles but it also needs a key.
She was about to leave the entrance when she saw the Mayor. "Hello. I'm Mayor Linden. The city council voted to demolish this theater next well. I came here to say my final goodbye." Then she put her hand on her chest as she remembers. "I love the Nightingale. This place gives me so many beautiful memories I will forever cherish."
Charlotte remembered the voice from the Chinese opera room. They were so similar but she kept quite about it. She asked, "Have you seen a large figure running around here? He kidnapped Rebecca, a student journalist."
"A large figure? No, I didn't see anyone besides you, my friend." said the Mayor.
Charlotte said, "Well if you see him, don't pursue him. He's taking pills that is giving him a bad temper and is very dangerous."
The Mayor asked, "Has anyone been contacted yet?"
"Before Rebecca was taken, she said she contacted her professor and hopefully that person contact the authorities." said Charlotte said.
The Mayor said, "If I hear sirens, I'll be outside and guide them in here. Almost forgot this place was a maze."
Charlotte nodded and left. As she left, she made note of the mayor in her journal. She went back to the door near the well and put the emblem pieces in place. When the door opened it was a bedroom. But outside of the room window, she saw the figure. It growled at her again and went sky-high out of sight. "He knows I'm perusing him." Inside the room was a bed, a few trinkets on the table near the window, some birdcages and blue rose in a glass case. She saw something under bed and found another music disk as well as Abigail's portrait as the Black Swan. "So the 2 were together as lovers." She made note of that. She also made note that Andreas was a bird-lover. She went to the small desk near the window and saw pieces for a plant vase. She went back to the music hallway and her tracker took her to the guitar stack again. This time it was pieces for a black locket. "Was this hers?" She put the vase in the display near the clock next to its partner and a compartment opened. It was a key. Charlotte made it back to the room and unlocked the birdcage. A ghost bird left it case, which nearly gave Charlotte a heart attack. Inside the cage was a toy bird, a key and a note. As she read it, she said, "Andreas regrets the terrible fire. That killed innocent people. He vows he'll never leave." Charlotte quickly made note of it. Then she put the locket at the rose case and when she removed it another red eye appeared. "Something happened in this room."
She touched the eye and got another vision. This time, Abigail was in Andreas' room and she was acting like she was scared for her life. "Abigail, your arms are trembling! What is the matter my love?"
Abigail in a scared voice said, "The theater director, he killed Rose. I saw Mr. Wilson kill Rose." Andreas face soon turned from shock to hatred. He ran out of his room in rage to find the 2. Phase 2 was complete.
When Charlotte woke up there was a blue ticket in her hand. "That good for nothing bitch. She knew about Andreas' brain after he toke those pills and how his temper is." she said.
Chapter 4
She made it back Andrea's theater room and went to the chest that was on stage. Once she put the handle in place and unlocked it with the key, she found 3 items: an angel wing, another clown and a note. As Charlotte read it, she found out another reason why Andreas never left. "A love letter! Andreas write of his affection for Abigail and swears never to leave her." She made note of it. "That means Abigail is somewhere here. If she willing to have grandpa hurt, when I'm walking on eggshells again." She went to the small booth on stage and put all 5 clowns in place. Each one of the clowns was doing something different and she made to match the clown with the action. One was juggling, fire breath, holding knives, holding the target for the knife, and one on a unicycle. Once that puzzle was solved, she got a green ballerina.
Then her tracker was telling her to go back to Andreas' room. She did and found pieces of the grandfather clock. To be specific it was the pendulum part. Once back in the music room, she put it in place and the clock face opened for another angel wing and a note. But unlike the other notes, this one was hateful. It says, 'I am the best dancer, I am better then Rose. This is not fair!' "Judging from the content, Abigail wrote this. She sound mighty jealous of Rose's achievements. But is this the only reason why she killed Rose?" She made note of the notes in her journal. She put the angel wings on the angel and then put the ticket in its slot.
She went inside and it was Darcy's singing room. There was a stage, some instruments, and a grand piano on stage. "Something doesn't feel right here." Then she shook her head. "But then again I always get that feeling before the Sleepy Beauty case and I'm almost always wrong." She found another music disk and put it in her bag. Then she saw sparkles at some chairs and a bottle of booze and went to it. It was pieces for a doorknob. Once that was done, she went to the piano and saw another note and a butterfly wing. The note says 'Rose is a nice girl, and we are good friends. She loves little birds too. I'm considering giving her a bird as a gift. I am sure she will like it. Andreas October 20, 1957.' Charlotte said, "So the small bird I have, was suppose to be her gift for something. Thank goodness the fire didn't destroy it."
She left the music room and went to the door next to the entrance. She put the knob in place and opened the door. It was a small hallway and then she went down the stairs and found a locked door. It must go to the blocked hallway. But what got her attention was another blue eye. She touched it and was in another vision. This time it was Rose and Abigail holding hands going up the stairs. Charlotte assumed this was before Abigail killed her. "We will be friends together and forever!"
Rose said, "Abigail, in my heart you will always be my sister." Judging from what statement this was roughly before or after the 'Ballet Swan Sister' act that was previously mention.
Charlotte said, "One of many few happy moments." She found oil can and the vision went away. She easily found a music disk and another but the other one was behind a spider's web and the spider was huge. Not as big as the one in the castle, but bigger then the black widow at the cabin owned by the cursed prince. "Spiders. Why does it have to be spiders?" She used the pesticide on the spider and it made a screech and died. She kicked it away and broke the web. She got the final music disk. She made her way back to the music room and found a small booth. There was 5 gentlemen playing instruments and 5 slots on top of their heads so the disk and match them. In order it was: trumpet, violin, cello, flute, and trombone. After that puzzle was solved she got a peach ballerina statue. But before she left the room, her tracker was taking her to the chairs again and found pieces for an eagle key. She went back to the down stairs door and saw it was rusted and locked. She used the rust remover and the key and just as she predicted, the door opened to the blocked hallway. Then she saw the ghost ballerina entered the locked room. "That must be grandpa's office." she said.
Her tracker told her to go to the lobby and when she arrived the broken ballerina statue was speaking to her, metaphorically speaking. It was pieces for the Vision-Magician Wand. It was her grandfather's. Though they did have a magician, her grandfather would do his own act on occasions. She went back to the hallway, used the chisel to get out the gunk from it, and used the wand to unlock the door. When Charlotte got in, she saw the mayor fiddling with a safe-like door. "Mayor Linden?"
The Mayor saw her and gasped. "Oh! You again! I wasn't expecting to see anyone in here."
Charlotte said, "It's not that hard to get in here Mayor."
Then Linden saw the picture on the wall of her as a young girl hugging her grandfather. Linden glared at her and pointed to the picture. "Is this man you're grandfather?" Before Charlotte answered, she continued. "It was his fault the Nightingale ended this way. He set it on fire 40 years ago and ran away."
"But Mayor Lin—"
"We are still searching for that criminal. Justice will be served. And if you decided to interfere, I will lock you up as well!" Then she ran off.
Charlotte made note of it in her journal and said, "Bitch. Who were the crazies that voted for you?" Then she noticed some paper on the floor and it was just scattered notes. "Grandpa write that he chose the solo dancer based on skill and popularity with the audience. So it wasn't Rose's fault she was picked to do a solo skit. He made a difficult but objective choice to case Rose over Abigail in his great masterpiece." She made note of that as well in her journal. Then Charlotte found an old poster on the office wall it was her grandfather when he was a bit younger advertizing his talents. "He worked here before he became boss. Just like Uncle Boddy." Under the bust statue in the room, there was a drawer with no handles and a puzzling hiding another compartment. "No I know puzzles run in the family." When she solved it she got another butterfly wing piece.
She looked around the room but then on a small desk, next to the main one, she found matches but as her hand went next to an odd box next to it, she felt something hot. "Another bad memory. Don't know how to unlock it yet." Then she saw sparkles on the main desk and put together pieces of a ladder. She made her way back to the block hallway and put the ladder against the hole in the ceiling. She climbed it and the room was very dark. All she could see was a few lights here and there. She felt around until she found a lamp. She put oil in it and then gave it some light with the matches.
When the light got brighter, Charlotte gasped. In a glass case was Rebecca. She was on her knees and was banging on the window. Charlotte ran to the case. "Are you alright Rebecca?" Rebecca couldn't hear her but read her lips. She nodded. Charlotte said, "I'm going to find a way to get you out. Just hang on." She saw sparkles on a small jewel display case. "You do know I have powers right? To find the right things at the right time right?" Rebecca nodded. "Well after this you're going to have one hell of a story cause I can also see into the past at time." Rebecca gave her a shocked face. "I'll explain when this is done. But to make it short, I work with Dark Parables and I'm a detective." She found a yellow crystal ball and put it in her bag. Then she found a copper petal near the broken glass case. At the glass case she found the clock timepiece. "The bad memory." She saw a butterfly symbol over a door. "That's Abigail's room."
Chapter 5
She walked down the hall and found Rose's bedroom door and the entrance to the magic show. On one of the bad posters, she found a drawer handle and took it. She made her way back to the office and put the handle in place. When it opened, she found a screwdriver and another note. It was badly distorted but one sentence was clear. 'Framed for fire. I have to run away.' "Grandpa ran when the Nightingale went up in flames. Nevertheless, I believe he is innocent." She made note of it.
Then she went to the box on the small desk and put the clock piece in place. And just as she predicted, there was a red eye. Charlotte took a breath and touched it. This time the vision showed that Andreas arrived at where Mr. Wilson and Rose were. He looked down at them in pure hate. Mr. Wilson saw him and thought he was going to help him. But he was wrong. "Andreas, call the police, Rose is…"
But he was interrupted when Andreas punched him in the face. The blow knocked off his glasses as Mr. Wilson hit the table what had the wine and candle, the candle hit the wine and it instantly caught on fire. As Mr. Wilson was knocked out, Andreas said, "You deserve this." The final phase was done. But Karma will result their downfall.
When Charlotte woke up, she quickly made note of what she saw and got Rose's bedroom key out of it. "Andreas caused the fire, but by accident." she said. "But what about Abigail?" She saw sparkles on the desk and put together a silver petal. Then she made her way up the ladder and went to the vent next to the magician show entrance. She used the screwdriver on the vent and got the gold petal. After that she went to Rose's door and put the pedals in place and unlocked the door with her key. Inside the bedroom was a nice small bedroom with dolls, a dressier, some cabinets, and a big swan statue but it was missing a wing feather. She saw sparkles on the bed and put together pieces of a griffin emblem. "Must be one of the keys to free Rebecca."
Then Charlotte found a music box, but it was incomplete. She put the bird she found in Andreas' room and when she did that it opened. Inside the box was a white crystal ball, and a photo of Rose and Andreas taking care of birds. "So they were great friends." Then she found some wire cutters near by. That gave Charlotte a great idea. "The breathing vent!" She ran back where Rebecca was at and said, "There's a key in the vent that's connected to this chamber. Can you hold you're breath long?" Rebecca nodded. "Okay, I'm going to cut it now and get the key. Ready…NOW!" Rebecca drew a long deep breath and held it as Charlotte ran on another broken case, cut the wire, which stopped the fan and looked inside. The key was in there all right. She quickly got the dragon emblem and put both on the case, solved a puzzle and the doors opened.
Rebecca was free. Rebecca gave out a breath as she stepped out. "You saved me twice. Thank you again! This time, I clearly saw the figure's face. He was the famous acrobatics actor who disappeared after that terrible fire. His name is Andreas."
Charlotte said, "I know I had a vision about him. He did indeed start the fire when he fought with grandpa."
Rebecca said, "This place is becoming too dangerous. You be careful, I will go out and call for help."
Charlotte gave Rebecca a number. "Here. This is the main number for Dark Parables. Call them after you call the authorities. I think I can find clues of what has happened to grandpa. Ask for Uncle Boddy only. Tell them Charlotte sent you."
Rebecca nodded and said, "You got it. Hope HQ not too far from here." Then she went down the ladder and left.
Charlotte looked around the room and pulled out her journal and looked over her notes. "I don't know which is more dangerous, my cases or this." She saw sparkles on the glass case and it was pieces for an award trophy. She quickly ran to Rose's room and put it in place, which unlocked a compartment that had the final piece to Abigail's room. "Hang on Rose. I'm almost done." She ran back to Abigail's room and unlocked the door using those pieces.
Inside Abigail's room, it was completely different in comparison to Rose's room. But what got her attention was the dummy heads near the bed. On each head there was a different face and hair. "These mannequin heads are covered with realistic-looking human masks and wigs. Then she remembered that in her vision and the mayor had the same pipe, and the same feather. "Oh my God." Then she went to the broken mirror and used the powdered stick on the mirror and saw a dark message. 'NO! I can't believe everyone betrays me! I must GET REVENGE!' Then 2 slots appeared and sparkles appeared on Abigail's bed. She got the pieces and when it was put together it was part of the lock for the mirror.
Then she felt her tracker wanting to take her to Rose's room. Charlotte didn't complain and ran there. On the bed, she found pieces for a necklace and Charlotte remembered that there was a bust near Abigail's door and it had a slot that the necklace would fit perfectly on it. She placed it on the bust and the second piece for the mirror appeared when a compartment opened. She went back into Abigail's room and put them on the mirror. What she found sickens Charlotte. It was a full of vials, potions, a skull, and a book. "She's a devil with an angel's face." She got the bottle that poison Rose and the heart emblem for the office safe.
She ran back to Rose's room and saw a blue eye. She touched it and it was a vision of Mr. Wilson declaring his love for Rose. Which means the accident happened, at least 1 or 2 years before Grandpa Wilson married his wife and had Charlotte's father and Uncle Boddy. Mr. Wilson said, "Rose, my love, you are the brightest star in my heart!"
Rose gasped and said, "Thank you, I can't help but feel the same!" Well just before things for steamy Charlotte found a coin and when the vision was gone, she has it in her hand.
Charlotte made note of her grandfather and Rose. "This explains why, he was fond of grandma but never really loved her." She had to stop. She sat down on the bed. "If the fire didn't happened, Rose would've been my grandmother." She put her face in her hands. "Times like this I don't like romance stories." As she sat there, she felt hands on her shoulders in a comforting way. But were they her grandmothers or Rose's? Well to tell you the truth, it was actually both she just couldn't see them. "What's the point of romance when it's going to end badly? First it was Briar Rose, then James and his 5 wives. When is there a case where it'll finally be happy?" she looked at the bottle and opened her journal and looked at Abigail's face. Then Charlotte glared at the photo as her eyes glowed green and red. "Now it's my turn for revenge."
Charlotte quickly went back to the office and of course she saw sparkles on the desk. She quickly solved it and it was a green crystal ball object. Then she went to the under the bookcase, and put the coins in place. When it opened, she found a ticket, a key, and a box of papers. "This looks like my box from Grandpa, minus the handwriting. Which one is fake?" She shook her head and left the office. But before she went up the ladder, she used the key on the small cabinet that was under some flowers and got a magic wand. She went up the ladder and put it in place it on the ticket booth and then put the ticket inside. She walked inside and it just like something you see in the 1920s magic shows: a stage with a curtain, a robot fortuneteller, and, of course, a booth for collections. She found a feather on the floor and took it. Then on the stage steps she saw sparkles and put together the red crystal ball.
After that, she ran back to Rose's room and when she put the feather in place, a red eye appeared. She touched it and got a vision. This time it was right after Andreas punched Mr. Wilson and started the fire. He heard and voice and saw Rose, still clinging to life speaking to him. "Andreas, come closer." she said. He did. "Can…Can you make one last wish for me?" She pointed at him. "You must…You must save Mr. Wilson. Save him." Then she drew her final breath and died. Andreas couldn't resist his friend final request. He picked up Mr. Wilson and took him outside out of danger of the fire. Once Mr. Wilson was on the ground, Andreas ran back inside the burning theater.
When Charlotte woke up, she had a purple skull in her hand. She went back to Abigail's room and put it on a draw that was under the mirror. It opened and Charlotte got a tarot card. She made her way back in the magic room and gave it to the fortuneteller's hand. It moved a cloth and it revealed the final crystal ball. She went to the small booth in the same room and put them in place. In order, it was red, green, blue, white, orange, and yellow. What she solved it, she got the final ballerina, a white one. Now she was ready to leave to get inside Rose's performance room but something stopped her. This time there was sparkles on the stage again. This time it was a stone book. "What the…?"
But she had no time to think about that. She ran back to the un-open theater room but first she had to solve the final booth. In order of the ballerinas it was peach, green, pink, and then white. Then popped out a battery.
Chapter 6
She put it in the ticket booth and then put the ticket in place. She ran inside and it was a big theater. Bigger then any of the others she been in. She found sandpaper on one of the seats and took it just incase. When she went to the stage. Andreas was waiting for her. She held out her hands. "Wait! Don't attack me yet! I found something in Abigail's room! It's the cause of Rose's death!" She took out the bottle and threw it at him. He caught it and recognized the colored hew. It was Abigail's favorite color. But he didn't take it well. He let out a big yell and ran off out of the stage area. He recognized the bottle but didn't want to believe the truth.
When he left, she found a knife nearby and sparkles near some rubble on the other staircase on stage. It was pieces for the white swan. She put it together and then she felt her tracking taking her to Abigail's room. But before she left, she opened one of the seats that was sealed shut and found a doorknob for the upstairs room next to the stage. Charlotte ran as fast as she could to Abigail's room and on the bed was pieces for the black swan. She then ran back to the theater room, clean the rust off of the display on the stage and put the swans on them. They rose up to show another compartment but this time there was another doorknob and another note from Abigail. The note says 'I'll take my revenge on Mr. Wilson, his children, and his children's children.' Charlotte nearly paled. "I hope dad is alright." On the side she saw more sparkles and solved it and got another stone book
Charlotte put the doorknobs in place and made her way up the stairs. In the room there were 1 double door, a small bookcase for stone books, and there was a map of the outside on the side with 3 circles on it: one red, blue, and yellow. Charlotte ran outside of the theater. Her first stop was the fountain. She found pieces for the yellow eagle lamp and put it together. Then she went to the procure stand and got pieces for a wall safe key. "Of course. Just like the movies." Then she went to the message board and put together the pieces for the res eagle lamp. Lastly, she managed to find the wall safe at the entrance and got the last lamp. As she ran up to the room, she saw the phantom Ballerina again. But unlike before, she didn't attack her. She mouthed something and then went away.
After Charlotte put the lamps in place including the stone books, a puzzle appeared and solved it with no problem. When the door opened, she walked up the stairs and it was a glass-covered balcony with a small map of the 4 shows. Then she saw her grandfather again. "Oh grandchild, what has this come to?! My beloved Rose is gone, the theater is burning, and now I must flee as I've been set for this crime!"
Charlotte asked, "What can I do grandpa?!"
"You must seek out the truth! Use this gift of yours and go through each theater show to search for visions fragments. Come back here when you have found all 4 visions." Then he disappeared.
Charlotte wasted no time into going through all the theater room to find the visions fragments. First was the Chinese opera room, then Andreas' room, then Darcy's music room, and finally the magic room. Each room has sparkles that showed her pieces of visions fragments she put together and different colored eyes appeared. One green, pink, blue, and violet. When Charlotte made it back to Rose's theater room, she smelled something bad. "This area reeks of gasoline…It seems to be coming from the stairs. That can't be good." She ran to the stage and saw the mayor. "Mayor Linden! I have a bone to pick with you!"
But Mayor Linden just smiled evilly and held up a lamp. "I will raze this place to the ground, with you in it!" Then she just dropped the lamp and fire quickly spread out.
Mayor Linden got away and then her grandfather appeared. Charlotte showed him the 4 fragments and he used his powers to fuse them into one and when he went away, she saw one final red eye. It gave her one final vision. This time, it was the aftermath of the act Andreas started. It was Abigail holding her face, as though she was injured from the fire. Then she got a wig, face, and glasses. She put them on and it revealed who Mayor Linden was and what Charlotte thought was true. Abigail IS Mayor Linden.
When the vision was over, she had to make her way up the stairs away from the flames. She knew that both of them were up there waiting for her. As she walked she coughed all the way up. She covered her face so she wouldn't breath the smoke. When she made it up to the glass-covered room, she saw them. Linden or Abigail said, "I have been waiting for you after 40 long years." Then she removed her wig and her fake face to reveal her real one. It was still burned and some of her hair was still there. The rest was nearly burnt away. "I was once a promising ballerina. But no matter how hard I worked, your grandfather never acknowledged my talent!"
Charlotte argued. "It wasn't his fault he had to make a difficult choice and the public wanted Rose!"
But Abigail didn't listen. "It was difficult to find you, but with a fabricated note and ticket I lured you to his theater." Then he made a manic face. "Now I will throw you onto the stage and burn the place down like what I should have done with your grandfather!" Then she pointed at Charlotte. "Andreas, get her!"
But before he did Charlotte said, "Wait Andreas! She's been lying to you! If you don't believe me, then believe these visions! They're from grandpa and he never lies!" She threw the vision ball at him like it was a fastball at a baseball game.
In Andreas' mind he saw everything. From the moment Abigail was jealous to when she poisoned her, to walking away and telling Andreas a lie, from Andreas punching Mr. Wilson to Rose's last words and saving him, and finally Abigail's new identity of Mayor Linden. He has been used in the worst way possible and by the one that he loved all those years. When he woke up, he turned to Abigail. "Rose was our good friend. You poisoned her?"
Abigail signed her death certificate. "She was nothing to me just like all of you!"
Andreas couldn't believe of his love's betrayal. "No, no, noooooooooo!" He ran at her, took her in his arms, and busted out of the window. They plummeted to the ground and died on impacted holding each other's hand.
Charlotte looked down as she heard the siren. All she could think about is Abigail and Andreas holding each other on the beach during the sunset. "We will be together and forever." But in Charlotte knew in her heart where they were going. But hopefully their love could help them survive an eternity of pain and misery where they'll be at for all time. Hopefully.
When the police arrived at the Nightingale Theater, they discovered the bodies of Andreas and Abigail, broken and entangled, lying beneath a shattered window. The impact of the fall killed them, and their death was ruled a joint suicide. From the evidence Charlotte collected in the theater, she proved Andreas unwittingly set the fire 40 years ago, and thus she cleared her grandfather's name. But what the police dossier didn't disclose is that Abigail's death relinquished the chains of vengeance that bound Rose's spirit to the Nightingale. At least, the final curtain has descended, and the prima ballerina can rest in peace. But not all was well. Charlotte felt a dark presence in Darcy's singing room. Before the building will be demolished, she had to go there one more time.
Darcy's Room
When Charlotte arrived back to the theater, when the fire died down again, she walked inside and felt a sense of relief throughout the theater. But when she made her way closer and closer to the office, the air got thick and cold. When she arrived and saw a ticket and note on the picture of her and her grandfather. She took the ticket and read the note. It says, 'Charlotte, thank you for freeing me. But your task isn't over. Though Andreas did start the fire and Abigail did kill me, there's one more secret you need to know. Abigail wasn't always just a hateful person. She was always kind and gentle, but when Darcy came over, everything changed. Find the final secret and unlocked in hopefully more clues to where Mr. Wilson is. Take this ticket and search the area for clues to your grandfather's whereabouts. But beware! Meddling with the theater further may unleash an even more sinister curse. If he's never found, then I hope you find Darcy and end her for she's the reason why you joined Dark Parables. Rose.'
Charlotte read the note over and over again trying to see if there were anymore clues in the note that Rose wrote. There was nothing as of now. She put the note in her book, cause she's going to turn it into a file and saw sparkles on the desk. It was pieces for a key for the secret room that Abigail tried to get inside.
When she put it place, the doors opened. She walked inside and there was the entrance for Mr. Wilson's vision magic show. It's possible that the office there wasn't there before. The only think that was missing was a statue to unlock the ticket booth. As Charlotte looked around, she found a newspaper on the floor. It says, 'Cursed? Or Killed By Sleep?' Others say, 'Police investigation yield no leads' and Strange deaths over at Nightingale'. "5 people died during Darcy's Velvet Diva show. Police allege the victims all died in their sleep. No suspects have been identified." said Charlotte.
She found a book display case, which is broken, and even though it was cluttered, she found pieces of the knight statue. When she went down the hallway on the right, she saw a piano at the end of the room, and 2 doors. When she looked at them, she saw a ghost of a scary woman and it wasn't like what you see in Japanese horror movies. "What the heck was that?" After she collected herself, she noticed something was sticking out from the rug on the ground. She moved it and found a small saw and a compartment that needs 2 knobs. "Of course." Then she saw a small statue holding a mini-statue of her grandfather. She put the knight one in the other hand and freed the mini-grandpa one. And just before she walked away, she saw sparkles on the shelves near the piano. It was mostly trinkets but she found pieces of a red eye emblem. "Red always mean bad." said Charlotte.
As she walked back she saw some wooden boards were hiding something near the entrance on the wall. She used the saw and cut the boards away. Inside was a stand for the statue and a note that was really old. "Abigail admits she fell in love with Grandpa after she saw him perform vision magic. This must be before grandpa owned the place and before Abigail worked for him." She put the statue and the stand in place and put the ticket inside. When she went inside it was just like she entered inside a planetarium: stars, sparkles, and a machine that does it all. Charlotte smiled. "If only I've been before grandpa ran away." Then she saw someone sitting down in one of the seat in front. She was about to touch the person, but it was a ghost and it turned it's head and looked at her. It was the same woman. Then she disappeared. "Something is not right."
She went on stage and saw a puzzle box. There was 5 slots and 4 buttons. Whenever she touched a slot one of the circles, or both, would glow and would have to find something that represent them. Once she solved it, it opened and she got another note, and a piano key. "Abigail's diary claims Grandfather and Rose were inseparable. In her isolation, she turned to the famous performer Andreas for comfort." She took the piano key. Then she went nearly back sage and saw sparkles. It was pieces for an iron gear set. She put it together and put it in the bag. She went back to the hallway where the trinkets were at and saw sparkles. She found another piece of the iron crank.
She went back to the display case, and saw sparkles there too. That's where she saw pieces of the half demon mask. "Must be a piece to open the doors." said Charlotte. Then she put the cranks in place of a planet display and when it opened, 2 slots opened. One was the other half of the mask, though it wasn't a demon one, and another note. "Abigail poisoned Andreas until his mind was so addled that she could control him. That explains a lot really." She went back to the locked doors and put the masked on it. When it opened, she went inside. There was a huge bed, a closet, a mirror and dresser, a locked music player, and a disk protector. There was also 7 pictures with Darcy in the middle. As she looked at the picture long enough the image change. Instead of a loving smiled, it changed into a demon smiled. Charlotte could hardly breath.
She saw sparkles on the dresser, and put together a fishbone key. After that, she got out of the room and found a fish chest near the piano. She unlocked it and found another piano key and another note. It says, 'I want whatever Rose wants! I will have whatever Rose has!' "Abigail's unbridled jealously is very evident from these pages." said Charlotte. She went back to the display case and found one of the handles for the doors on the floor. Then she went inside the magic room again and saw sparkles on stage again. This time it was pieces for dark scriptures. "So Darcy's a witch."
Then she made it back to Darcy's room again and used the book to unlock her closet. Inside, other then clothes were another piano key and another note. This time it was from Grandpa. "Grandpa write that Abigail met Darcy the Velvet Diva, as a young girl. After that, Abigail changed and began seeing Andreas. She must have done something to Abigail that sealed her fate." She saw sparkles on the dresser again and got pieces for the blue eye emblem like the red one. She made it back to the magic room and put the 2 in place. After solving a puzzle something opened. It was another piano key and another note. "Abigail says Darcy taught her to make poisons—from a numbing substance to a fatal fluid. This explains how she can control Andreas and how she killed Rose."
She made her way to the piano but had to stop by the shelves again. This time she found the final handle for the doors on the floor. Once put together and put both handles on the door, it opened and got the final piano piece. "I must be missing something." Then she felt her tracker and went to the office. When she arrived she found the piano master key. Once together, she ran back to the piano and put all the keys in place and used the master key to unlock the piano. Inside was a plate for Darcy's disk protector and another note from Mr. Wilson. "Grandpa believed Darcy set the fire with her powers; he stayed to investigate. Grandpa it wasn't her, but she was the beginning of the end prior to the fire."
She made it back in Darcy's room and saw a blue eye. Another vision. She touched it and this time, it was Darcy on the bed crying, darts were stuck in Grandpa's picture and some ribbons were around Abigail's picture. She slowly saw the item she needs. It was another key. She took it and the vision went away. Then she put the music emblem on the protector and a puzzled appeared. When she solved it, a old record disk came out and she took it. Then she used the key and unlocked the music player. When she put the disk in place and started the player, their air got really thick. She looked at the pictures and while 6 of them turned into horror sad pictures, Darcy's remained evil demon. The image then charged Charlotte and then everything went black.
Epilogue
When Charlotte woke up, she saw 2 faces: Uncle Boddy's and Rebecca's. They let out a breath. "Thank goodness." said Rebecca. "You were on the ground not breathing and cold as ice. Are you alright?"
Mr. Boddy helped her sit up. "We had to get you out of the room and back outside before you regained conscious."
Charlotte held her head. "In that room, there's another performer. Rose left me a note telling me that Darcy isn't a nice person and I realized what she meant." She looked at them. "I think she's a half demon."
The 2 gasped. Rebecca asked, "What evidence do you have?"
Charlotte said, "Well from what the notes say, Abigail actually had a crush on grandpa, but when she meet Darcy, she changed. She even taught Abigail potions of all kind. Some to manipulate someone, like Andreas, and some fatal like with Rose." She held her head. "We have to find Grandpa Uncle."
Mr. Boddy said, "I know. I saw all the notes, the clues, and whatever that was there. I'll do what I can. Does she have any connection to your old cases?"
Charlotte said, "In more ways then one, but I don't know yet."
They got her in Mr. Boddy's car. Then he turned to Rebecca and asked, "How would you like it if you worked at Dark Parables as out journalist? We don't have one yet and with your skills we could use one."
Rebecca face lit up. "I would be honor to take the position. But can you wait until I graduate?"
Mr. Boddy said, "Until the end of time." Then he started the car and drove him and Charlotte home. "You are taking a day off young lady until your next case with the Snow Queen."
Charlotte said, "That's fine with me uncle. I need to make a file for the evil godmother. Darcy is either a minion or the real deal."
Now that the curse of the Nightingale is over, Charlotte is now more aware that there will be cases where it will get very dangerous. But her main thought is where is her grandpa? Though Uncle Boddy will work very hard to find him, Charlotte must focus on her next case. The Snow Queen is moving quickly with her plans and if there's any more delay the world is in trouble. It's up to Charlotte to save the world once again.